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Sunday, May 10, 2015

Deepest Expectations: An Allegory of the Death of Louis XV

Louis XV had once been called the "Most Beloved," but by the time of his death in 1774, he had squandered the good will of the people with years of unpopular decisions, increasing isolation from anyone outside his court circle, and visible, expensive mistresses who made convenient scapegoats for the king's decisions. His death ushered in a wave of hopes, pressure and expectations from the French people for their new king, the young Louis-Auguste, now Louis XVI, and his young queen.

Perhaps nothing illustrations the immediacy of these expectations than this engraving published in 1774 as 'An Allegory of the Death of Louis XV.' Rather than resembling the standard allegory of the death of royalty--which usually depict them being welcomed into heaven by angels, cherubs and other heavenly creatures--Louis XV is shown in barefoot, in simple clothing with a traveler's walking stick; he is being shown portraits of his living family, the hope for France. It is his remaining family, and not Louis XV himself, who are being draped with flower garlands and celebrated.

To illustrate the point even further, this engraving was accompanied by the following poem, which refers to Louis XV as 'the subject of regret.'

What an important spectacle this tableau presents you!An august family still flourishingContemplate here these portraitsSee--there, gathered under the eyes of FranceAlong with the subject of regretThose of its deepest expectation

Marie Antoinette remarked on these
expectations in a letter to her mother several months after the death of
her 'grandpapa king': "... I worry a little about this French
enthusiasm when it comes to the future. ... opinion is divided, and it
will be impossible to please everyone in a country where people are so
impatient that they want everything done immediately."

Louis XV left his grandson a kingdom that was in near ruins from
deficit and deeply ingrained corruption.
Louis XVI, woefully unprepared to rule and forced to navigate the corrupted court that detested his attempts at reform, was faced with the
impossible task of fixing France.

Visitors to Versailles: From Louis XIV to the French Revolution by Daniëlle O. Kisluk-Grosheide and Bertrand Rondot [April 2018]Enchanted Islands: Picturing the Allure of Conquest in Eighteenth-Century France by Mary D. Sheriff [April 2018]The Little Book of Versailles by Dominique Foufelle [May 2018]

A Genealogy of Terror in Eighteenth-Century France by Ronald Schechter [June 2018]The Culture of French Revolutionary Diplomacy: In the Face of Europe by Linda Frey and Marsha Frey [June 2018]

Robespierre and the Festival of the Supreme Being: The search for a republican morality by Jonathan Smyth [June 2018]Marie Antoinette at Petit Trianon: Heritage Interpretation and Visitor Perceptions by Denise Maior-Barron [July 2018]

The Routledge Companion to the French Revolution in World History edited by Alan Forrest [July 2018]

In the Red and in the Black: Debt, Dishonor, and the Law in France between Revolutions by Erika Vause [October 2018]Versailles by Colin Jones [November 2018]

About Me

I am a history loving writer who enjoys reading and blogging in my spare time. I currently run three blogs: Reading Treasure, a blog dedicated to books and more about Marie Antoinette and 18th century France; Treasure for Your Pleasure, a Tumblr microblog dedicated to Marie Antoinette and her world; and my newest blog, Inviting History, a book blog dedicated to unique and overlooked history books.

Contact

If you need to contact me with any questions or comments or if you'd just like to chat, please feel free to do so at my email: vivelaqueen[@]yahoo.com.

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I am more than happy to consider reviewing books that are relevant to any of my blogs and interests. This includes non-fiction books which represent a unique, overlooked or niche point of view as well as fiction or non-fiction about Marie Antoinette, the French Revolution, and 18th century France. If you are interested in having a book reviewed, please contact me at the email above.